Artist Joe Mathieu will discuss his experiences as a primary illustrator of Sesame Street’s beloved characters for books, magazines, and toys. His art captured the look and feel of the famed television program, leading to a long relationship with Random House and Sesame Street Workshop that continues to this day. In addition to more than 150 books, Mathieu has created art for albums and CD covers, and images for a wide range of clients.

The Norman Rockwell Scavenger Hunt at the Red Lion Inn using the NRM Mobile App!

The Red Lion Inn showcases a considerable collection of Norman Rockwell prints on its walls. Using the Norman Rockwell Museum mobile app, look up the audio/video tour content for each of the following paintings to find the answers to the questions that accompanies each image. Pick up the scavenger hunt sheet at the Front Desk of […]

A common misconception is the idea that the Victorians invented childhood. Though there were obviously children running around and playing for innumerable generations before the 19th century, the concept of “childhood” was nowhere near as prevalent or as closely observed as it was by the Victorians. Children throughout history were often participating members of the household, assisting with daily chores which were commonly more labor intensive than making the bed or loading the dishwasher, in comparison with today.

Illustration History Blog: Children’s Book Illustrators and the Golden Age of IllustrationRich Bradway2018-08-13T13:27:33-04:00

Support Free Kids Admission at Norman Rockwell Museum

Kids are free every day at the Museum. Your generous gift of $500 will provide free admission for 80 children, giving access to art, history and a world of wonder. $250 gives 20 children a museum experience that will start a lifetime habit of museum visits. $100 opens the eyes of 8 children to the learning a museum can provide.

Renowned artist and illustrator Wendell Minor has been named Artist Laureate for 2018/2019 by the Norman Rockwell Museum. Established in 2008, the Museum’s Artist Laureate Award honors the contributions of outstanding visual artists whose exceptional dedication to the Museum and its mission have guided and advanced the work of the institution

That’s why we are kicking-off a new social media campaign called “#FourFreedomsToday.”

All you need to do is express what freedom means to you on social media using the hashtag #FourFreedomsToday, and you could be selected to be featured in our traveling exhibition and on the exhibition website.

What does freedom mean to you? #FourFreedomsTodayRich Bradway2018-04-17T18:51:19-04:00

On January 6, 1941, 77 years ago tomorrow, President Franklin Roosevelt (pictured above in 1934) proclaimed the need to defend four essential freedoms—Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear—as a reason for the U.S. to enter World War II. Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms, a major exhibition organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum and opening at the New-York Historical Society on May 25, 2018, tells the story of how the Four Freedoms, as expressed by Rockwell, brought the country together in defense of universal human rights. It is a story for our time.

A Story for Our Time: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four FreedomsRich Bradway2018-01-05T13:19:09-04:00

The Norman Rockwell Museum announces Never Abandon Imagination: The Fantastical Art of Tony DiTerlizzi, an exhibition of works by the #1 New York Times bestselling author/illustrator that will be on view at the Museum from November 11, 2017 through May 28, 2018.

INSPIRED: NORMAN ROCKWELL AND ERIK ERIKSON

June 8 through October 27, 2019

In February 1959, Norman Rockwell appeared on Edward R. Murrow’s celebrity interview show, Person to Person. For decades, Rockwell had painted wholesome scenes of American life, and Murrow interviewed Rockwell at his home in the bucolic small town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. On the program, the artist described how much he and his family loved […]

Weary of the 24-hour cycle of election coverage? Are you experiencing opposing views among friends and family? Have you thought about how you will feel and behave if your candidate does not win the election? Norman Rockwell Museum is offering respite.

Illustrator Dennis Dittrich will discuss the powerful propaganda posters of World War I, including imagery circulated by both the Allied and Central Powers. Stylistic approaches to graphic communication will be explored, as will the influence of these materials on the German propaganda campaign of the era.

Event Added: Illustrated Propaganda Posters of World War I – A Special Art Talk by Illustrator Dennis DittrichRich Bradway2017-03-01T11:37:39-04:00

About the Four Freedoms Forums

This series of Town Hall conversations inspired by Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms paintings will explore aspects of our democracy in a rapidly changing and increasingly global world. Noted commentators will offer observations and inspire community discourse, with a reception to follow.

Free to all.

Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms

In his January 1941 address to Congress, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt articulated his vision for a postwar world founded on four basic […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Jungle Book (1995)

Tales of young children raised by wolves date back to the legend of Romulus and Remus, the twins who founded Rome. However, none have captivated imaginations as completely as Rudyard Kipling’s stories of young Mowgli and the loyal animals who protect him from harm. First published in 1894, the collection of stories originally featured illustrations by […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

These 13 (1979)

First published in 1931, These 13 by William Faulkner was the author’s first mass-release short story collection. It includes many of Faulkner’s most acclaimed and frequently anthologized short stories. After immersing himself in Faulkner’s narratives, Pinkney provided eye-catching illustrations for […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Covenant (1980)

Though he knew it to be an important literary work, Jerry Pinkney had not read The Covenant until he was commissioned to illustrate it. Excited by the prospect, he absorbed the text slowly to gather detailed information that would be useful for his drawings. His artworks for the […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

Gulliver’s Travels (1974)

Music Credit: He Ran All the Way
Bobby McFerrin
Album: Medicine Music
Written By: Bobby McFerrin

Limited edition releases by The Franklin Library, the nation’s largest distributor of classic books designed for the collector’s market, featured Jerry Pinkney’s work in the late 1970s by aligning his art with texts by acknowledged literary giants. Gulliver’s Travels, a full-length satirical work […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Talking Eggs (1989)

An adaptation of a Creole folktale, The Talking Eggs tells the story of a sweet young heroine who labors in service to her lazy mother and sister until her kindness to an old woman propels her into a miraculous world. Among the magical treasures she discovers there are dancing animals, two-headed cows, and talking eggs that cry out […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

Rikki Tikki Tavi (1997)

Carefully observed, animal behavior and the distinct creature characteristics are reflected in Pinkney’s images for Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, which feature Nag and Nagaina, two giant cobras who rear their sinister heads, and Darzee and the birds, who sing out messages of joy and warning. Shifting visual perspectives, from a birds-eye to worms-eye view, create a sense of drama […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

Puss in Boots (2015)

Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault was first published in France in 1697, and later translated in England in 1729, the time period in which Jerry Pinkney’s version is set. The story focuses on the antics of a clever cat who tricks both a king and a sorcerer to make his master’s dreams come true. Pictured […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Nightingale (2002)

The Nightingale is the story of a humble songbird whose beautiful voice brings her great fame and an esteemed place in the king’s court. Ultimately, after saving the life of the king, the nightingale chooses to leave her regal new home to return to a peaceful life in the forest. Though the original tale by Hans Christian […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

John Henry (2009)

Jerry Pinkney worked closely with author Julius Lester on several important works inspired by cultural narratives, including John Henry, a childhood favorite that offered the opportunity to “create an African American hero that would inspire all.” The importance of leading a well-lived life is a theme that emanates from this African American folk ballad, illuminated through artworks […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Tales of Uncle Remus (1987)

A collection of stories about the exploits of Brer Rabbit and other colorful creatures, the tales of Uncle Remus were first published in book form in 1881 by Joel Chandler Harris (1845–1908), an American journalist, fiction writer, and folklorist. […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Old African (2005)

The Old African is portrayed as powerful and intelligent being who longed for freedom and his homeland. In the story, the character exhibited the steadfast faith resiliency that his people needed to escape the pain and bondage of […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

Their Eyes Were Watching God (1991)

Their Eyes Were Watching God, published in 1937, is the best-known work of African American writer Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960). The novel traces Janie Crawford’s “ripening from a vibrant but voiceless teenage girl […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Little Match Girl (1999)

When Jerry Pinkney adapted this classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, he transformed the author’s European setting to a bustling American city filled with the crowded tenements of the 1920s. Cars and carriage-filled streets, the push carts […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

Noah’s Ark (2002)

Jerry Pinkney’s mother Willie Mae was a homemaker and an occasional day worker, and was largely responsible for keeping her children wellfed, clothed, and disciplined. In her little spare time each day she sat in her favorite reading chair next […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

God Bless the Child (2012)

Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr.’s swing spiritual God Bless the Child, written in 1939, was the inspiration for Jerry Pinkney’s moving depiction of one family’s move north during the Great Migration of the 1930s. The […]

DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

The Ugly Duckling (1999)

Music Credit:Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Sarah Vaughn
Album: This Is the Life
Written By: Harold Arlen

In this emotional retelling of a classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, a duckling who is different from the rest overcomes the cruel treatment of his siblings, cold, and loneliness to find peace and happiness when his true identity […]

Google is celebrating Black History, Arts and Culture with a large online exhibition comprised of exhibits from many institutions across the country, including
the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Explore three pivotal illustrations by Norman Rockwell from this important and historic period in our country.
Featuring video tours, reference photos, pencil and color studies, and correspondence to and from Norman Rockwell in response to his work on these illustrations.

Norman Rockwell in the Age of the Civil Rights Movement (Google Cultural Institute)Rich Bradway2017-03-01T11:38:20-04:00

Annual Summer Gala Set for Saturday, June 6, 2015 This year’s Summer Gala is shaping up to be a truly special evening, as it coincides with the exhibition premiere of Roz Chast: Cartoon Memoirs, and celebrates three remarkable members of the Museum leadership.

Advanced sponsorships are still available. Invite your colleagues, family, and friends to join you at your table for a special evening while supporting the Museum’s exhibitions and educational programs.

The Gala will begin at 6 p.m. with […]

Annual Summer Gala Set for Saturday, June 6, 2015Rich Bradway2017-03-01T11:38:50-04:00

In the middle of July the sons of illustrator and comic strip artist Alden Spurr McWilliams (1917-1993) made a significant gift of 33 original strips and Sunday paper boards to the Norman Rockwell Museum. The previous year, one of the sons and his wife visited the museum and talked with curator Joyce Schiller about Al McWilliams, his career, and the care and preservation of the work that remained.

Earlier this summer, the acclaimed illustrator, animator, children’s book author, graphic novelist, and editorial cartoonist R. O. Blechman donated one of his works of art to the Norman Rockwell Museum. This work had been shown in Blechman’s spring 2013 museum exhibition, R. O. Blechman: The Inquiring Line, one of the series of focus exhibits the museum offers called the Distinguished Illustrators series of exhibitions produced by the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies. Even though the […]

Did you know that prior to Norman Rockwell and his family moving to Stockbridge, Massachusetts in 1953, that Stockbridge had been a locale with its own bevy of artists and illustrators? And not just the sculptor Daniel Chester French (1850-1931) either.

While Daniel Chester French had grown up in Concord, Massachusetts, he had also lived in New York, Rome, Washington, D.C., and Paris. In 1897 French returned to Massachusetts creating a home, studio, and gardens off […]

Stockbridge, MA—A Home for Illustrators and Artists at the Turn of the Century.Rich Bradway2017-03-01T11:39:11-04:00

A question for you science fiction fans. Where was Robert Heinlein’s short story “The Green Hills of Earth” first published? And who illustrated the story? To answer these questions check out the current Exploring Illustration posting on the Rockwell Center web site!

While our name is still the Norman Rockwell Museum, we are also, as our subtitle says a home of American illustration art. The subtitle says it all. Our collections of American illustration art are growing and are rather diverse. From illustrations by James Montgomery Flagg and Charles Dana Gibson, to work by some perhaps more obscure names in the world of American illustration art (William J. Aylward, Fred Eng, Robert Lynn Lambdin, and Philip W. Prugh).

Ms. Emily Schiller will give a public lecture at the Norman Rockwell Museum on Saturday April 6, 2013 at 5:30 pm. Ms. Schiller is a 2012 recipient of a Rockwell Center Dissertation Fellowship, funded by the Robert Lehman Foundation. Her dissertation, titled “Unsettled Masses: Transportation in American Art During the 1930s and 1940s,” is focused on artistic representations of mass transit during the Great Depression and World War II. It specifically looks at how passengers appear on subways, elevated […]

On March 21, 2013, the Rockwell Center will offer another new posting exploring a work of illustration art. Lately we’ve been very fortunate to host a run of guest writers for these essays. Tomorrow our colleague, Dr. Heather Campbell Coyle, Curator of American Art at the Delaware Art Museum, will share her comments on a cover illustration for Puck magazine from March 19, 1913 honoring Easter as well as the controversial Armory Show. Check it out […]

Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, is one of the times that harmful spirits are said to be active. In the U.S., we take that concept to mean that witches, among other spirits, are out that night seeing what mischief they can get into. Since we link witches and Halloween together, it is not uncommon to see Halloween cover illustrations for popular magazines that show a witch out riding her broom...

Today, April 16, 2012, is Patriots Day in Massachusetts. This is a civic holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord that began the American Revolutionary War. See the related posting on the Rockwell Center website about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride” at http://www.rockwell-center.org/exploring-illustration/paul-reveres-ride/

Patriots Day April 16 in MassachusettsRich Bradway2017-03-01T11:40:15-04:00

In 2010 the Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies at the Norman Rockwell Museum offered the opportunity for scholars to win a fellowship to pursue their studies on American illustration art and visual studies. The Rockwell Center Fellowship is offered to senior scholars or museum professionals and Rockwell Center Dissertation Fellowship is open to doctoral candidates who are working on their dissertations. A few weeks ago we awarded the two Rockwell Center Fellowships for 2011.

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